


A Love For The Ages

by WaxRhapsodic



Series: Romantic Misunderstandings [6]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings (Movies), The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Flirting, Chance Meetings, Eventual Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield, F/M, Female Bilbo Baggins, Female Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield, First Meetings, Meet-Cute, Oblivious Bilbo, POV Bilbo Baggins, Romance, Rule 63, Thorin Feels, Thorin is a Softie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-11-07 14:57:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17962727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaxRhapsodic/pseuds/WaxRhapsodic
Summary: Brenna Baggins is looking for the perfect gift in Thorin's shop! Of course it would be nice if he was more helpful than intimidating...





	A Love For The Ages

“Excuse me, ma’am can I help you?”

Brenna looked up with a smile only to falter at the sight of thickly lashed, bright blue eyes gazing down at her tensely. It was a man dressed for work. He was tall and well built with long black hair pulled back into a neat bun and a nicely trimmed beard. He looked to be in his early thirties-only a few years her senior. And at a glance he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring. Hope sprang up in her heart and hopefully not to obviously on her face.

 Lord this man was handsome! She sucked in a breath and smiled a bit brighter, wishing she’d worn something nicer than her favorite blue sundress but hey, it had pockets!

“No, thank you. I’m just looking for now,” she said cheerfully.

The man-she glanced at his nametag- _Thorin_ blinked at her, smile fading slightly and gave a short nod. “Alright, let me know if anything changes.” He a said brusquely, cheeks turning a bit pink as he spoke, softening his answer some as he turned and walked away.

She frowned slightly as he turned away, wondering what he’d found so off putting. Perhaps he was just having a bad day? She glanced at her phone. It was still rather early for most people; maybe he wasn’t a morning person.

She shrugged it off and went back to perusing the large pottery she’d been trying to choose from. The problem, if you could call it that, was that they were all so well made and beautiful that it was nearly impossible to decide which to purchase.

She could hardly believe these were hand thrown. Brenna huffed a sigh, idly wrapped a loose curl around her index finger as she turned in a full circle, hoping something in the shop would jump out at her lest she end up buying ten huge pots due to her indecisive nature.

The back of her neck prickled and she tilted her head slightly, looking out the corner of her eye at Thorin who –based on the tense line of his broad shoulders- was watching her make a fool of herself with very little patience.

Just as the thought crossed her mind he crossed his arms over his broad chest, causing his biceps and pectorals to bunch very attractively under his work shirt. She only wished he wasn’t wearing that heavy apron as well, she’d bet the rest of him matched what little she could see unimpeded.

Those muscles pushed her back towards the idea of just buying ten. He’d have to help her load them into her car…she blinked the thought away with a quirk of her full lips, she’d be lucky to fit three in her small car and it would be ridiculous to buy so many just to watch him work.

Right?

Maybe should take her cousin up on that offer to set her up on a date, she wasn’t usually this hard pressed after just _seeing_ a man. Of course this man was an exceptional specimen…

“Do you have any questions?” His terse baritone cut into her thoughts sharply, igniting her blush as she realized she spaced out staring at his chest. She moved to drop her hand but it was still tangled in her hair and she flinched as she tugged her head to the side, more embarrassed than she could ever remember being.

She risked a glance at Thorin as he watched her with unimpressed eyes, one hand on his hip, the other tapping an impatient rhythm on the wooden counter as a muscle ticked in his jaw.

Brenna cleared her throat and shoved her curls behind her ear, hoping against hope that most of them were still contained by the waterfall braid that she thought looked so nice with her sun streaked auburn hair. She mentally grappled for something to say when thankfully an idea struck.

“Do you make custom pieces?” she was inordinately proud of how calm she sounded.

Thorin looked her over head toe in a sweeping look that left her tingling and fighting off another blush. He glanced away almost immediately and left her wondering if she’d imagined the heat in that gaze.

“Yes. Do you have something in mind?”

She pulled out her phone and quickly scrolled to find a picture, stepping up to the counter and turning her phone to show him.

His face softened at the picture and the corner of his mouth tipped up, showing a dimple through his short beard. Brenna looked up at him through her eyelashes. She was a sucker for dimples.

“Your grandfather?” he asked softly.

She grinned and nodded. “Yes. We’ve had to move him to an assisted living facility nearby and I want to take him a housewarming gift of one of his heirloom rosebushes so he can still tend it, you know? But I don’t just want to show up with an armful of burlap and cuttings?” Thorin nodded somewhat unsurely and she realized he probably didn’t know much if anything about gardening so she hurried on.

“The door we’re sitting in front of leads to the garden shed he shared with my grandmother who passed on a few years ago. He painted it her favorite color forty years ago and kept it up himself until she was gone.” She said softly, voice full of fond memories.

She glanced up to see Thorin watching her with a tender look in his eyes, giving her a small but sincere smile.

“A love for the ages,” he said quietly. “My grandparents were just the same.”

“Wonderful,” she beamed at him. “I was thinking a pot in that color? So he could keep roses in the house and the yard?”

He reached for her phone but instead of taking it he covered her hand with his own, sending a shiver up her arm at his warm, calloused grip. “I can do that,” he said lowly, his heavy baritone settling into her bones and warming her from within. “Let’s talk dimensions and a pickup date. Do you have the name of the color on hand or would you like to look through our options?” he asked smoothly, finally seeming to relax in her presence.

Brenna was relieved that the conversation flowed smoothly after that and in less than an hour everything was settled.

“I’ll have it done in time for your visit to his new home next week,” he promised with a slightly bigger smile than he’d given her before. “Thank you Brenna. I’ll see you soon.”

“You sure will!” she rapped her knuckles on the counter, accentuating her words as she stepped back, preparing to leave. She was wracking her brain to think of a reason to continue their conversation or finagle a date but nothing came to mind.

Thorin cleared his throat and she tensed, realizing she’d spaced out staring at his mouth this time. Good lord he was going to ask her to leave wasn’t he? I mean he’d have every right…

Except he looked…amused? And somewhat self assured.

 “Brenna, I hope this doesn’t seem to forward but I’ve enjoyed our conversation and would like to continue it at a later time. Perhaps we could meet for coffee?” He started out confident but by the end of his sentence he was back to looking tense and grim as he had when he’d first spoken to her. Like he was sure the answer would be _‘no and I’ll be taking my business elsewhere thank you very much.’_

In spite of his worst fears, Brenna was thrilled. “I’d like that,” she smiled and stepped back up to the counter. “Give me your phone?”

He gave her a gob smacked look and handed it to her, startling slightly as she let their fingers brush. She entered her number and sent herself a quick text so she’d have his number as well. “I’ll see you soon?” she asked kindly, trying to get him to loosen up into the warm, creative man she’d conversed with for the better part of an hour.

“Uh, yes? Yes. I’ll text you later. Tonight.” He said firmly, though he looked like he was fighting down a goofy grin.

She tucked a curl behind her ear with a smile, “I look forwards to it Thorin.” Perhaps this could be the beginning of her own love for the ages. Hey, a girl could dream.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my birthday gift to myself! What did you think? I hope you liked it! Please comment and let me know! Also, if you can think of any situations you'd like to see these two in please put them in a comment! I'm always looking for more inspiration! Thanks for reading!! Comments and Kudos count as birthday presents!!xx


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